Nickel dermatitis and diet: clinical improvement and a reduction in blood and urine nickel levels with a low-nickel diet.

A 27-year-old nickel-sensitive female who had had continuous spontaneous flare-ups of eczema, including at sites of previous metal contact, experienced a clearing of her eruption after commencing a low-nickel diet. When on the diet, whole-blood and urinary nickel levels fell to half or less of pre-diet values and this coincided with the clinical improvement. Low-nickel diets should be considered for patients who are highly nickel sensitive.